There’s around 10 ways to get rid of space junk

Active Removal Methods (For Large Debris)

• Robotic Arms/Claws:
  Missions like ClearSpace-1 aim to use a robotic arm to grab defunct satellites, then de-orbit them.

• Nets: DART (RemoveDEBRIS mission) successfully tested a net to capture debris in orbit, slowing it for atmospheric re-entry.

• Harpoons:
  A harpoon can spear debris to attach a tether, pulling it down.

• Magnetic Docking:
  Companies like Astroscale are developing magnetic tugs that attach to satellites (with pre-installed docking plates) to move them.

• Space Tugs:
  A “tug” spacecraft approaches, attaches, and maneuvers the debris into a lower orbit for controlled burn-up.

Passive & Future Methods

• Lasers (Ground-Based):
  Lasers fired from Earth can ablate (vaporize) small parts of debris, creating thrust to nudge them into lower orbits where they burn up.

• ElectroDynamic Tethers (EDTs):
  Long conductive tethers generate forces in Earth’s magnetic field to de-orbit satellites.

• Sponge Foam/Shields:
  Large, thin shields or foam can slow down smaller particles, causing them to re-enter faster.

In-Orbit Servicing:
Refueling, repairing, or de-orbiting satellites using robotic systems, rather than just capturing them.

Mitigation (Preventing New Debris)

Design for Demise: Building satellites to burn up more easily on re-entry.

• Graveyard Orbits: Moving satellites to higher, unused orbits at end-of-life.
  Active Debris Removal (ADR): Developing technology to remove existing, large, uncontrolled objects before they break into more pieces (Kessler Syndrome).

• Lasers in space pushing particles and debris down wards.

Tau.Neutrino said:

There’s around 10 ways to get rid of space junk

Active Removal Methods (For Large Debris)

• Robotic Arms/Claws:
  Missions like ClearSpace-1 aim to use a robotic arm to grab defunct satellites, then de-orbit them.

• Nets: DART (RemoveDEBRIS mission) successfully tested a net to capture debris in orbit, slowing it for atmospheric re-entry.

• Harpoons:
  A harpoon can spear debris to attach a tether, pulling it down.

• Magnetic Docking:
  Companies like Astroscale are developing magnetic tugs that attach to satellites (with pre-installed docking plates) to move them.

• Space Tugs:
  A “tug” spacecraft approaches, attaches, and maneuvers the debris into a lower orbit for controlled burn-up.

Passive & Future Methods

• Lasers (Ground-Based):
  Lasers fired from Earth can ablate (vaporize) small parts of debris, creating thrust to nudge them into lower orbits where they burn up.

• ElectroDynamic Tethers (EDTs):
  Long conductive tethers generate forces in Earth’s magnetic field to de-orbit satellites.

• Sponge Foam/Shields:
  Large, thin shields or foam can slow down smaller particles, causing them to re-enter faster.

In-Orbit Servicing:
Refueling, repairing, or de-orbiting satellites using robotic systems, rather than just capturing them.

Mitigation (Preventing New Debris)

Design for Demise: Building satellites to burn up more easily on re-entry.

• Graveyard Orbits: Moving satellites to higher, unused orbits at end-of-life.
  Active Debris Removal (ADR): Developing technology to remove existing, large, uncontrolled objects before they break into more pieces (Kessler Syndrome).

• Lasers in space pushing particles and debris down wards.

Some suggestions to further manage space debris.

1 Using the above methods efficiently regarding altitude.
2 Using the above methods eefficiently regarding size.
3 Discovering which satellites are active.
4 Discovering which are deactivated for de-orbiting.
5 Placing higher deactivated satellites into an lower orbit to nudge debris to towards burn up.

Tau.Neutrino said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

There’s around 10 ways to get rid of space junk

Active Removal Methods (For Large Debris)

• Robotic Arms/Claws:
  Missions like ClearSpace-1 aim to use a robotic arm to grab defunct satellites, then de-orbit them.

• Nets: DART (RemoveDEBRIS mission) successfully tested a net to capture debris in orbit, slowing it for atmospheric re-entry.

• Harpoons:
  A harpoon can spear debris to attach a tether, pulling it down.

• Magnetic Docking:
  Companies like Astroscale are developing magnetic tugs that attach to satellites (with pre-installed docking plates) to move them.

• Space Tugs:
  A “tug” spacecraft approaches, attaches, and maneuvers the debris into a lower orbit for controlled burn-up.

Passive & Future Methods

• Lasers (Ground-Based):
  Lasers fired from Earth can ablate (vaporize) small parts of debris, creating thrust to nudge them into lower orbits where they burn up.

• ElectroDynamic Tethers (EDTs):
  Long conductive tethers generate forces in Earth’s magnetic field to de-orbit satellites.

• Sponge Foam/Shields:
  Large, thin shields or foam can slow down smaller particles, causing them to re-enter faster.

In-Orbit Servicing:
Refueling, repairing, or de-orbiting satellites using robotic systems, rather than just capturing them.

Mitigation (Preventing New Debris)

Design for Demise: Building satellites to burn up more easily on re-entry.

• Graveyard Orbits: Moving satellites to higher, unused orbits at end-of-life.
  Active Debris Removal (ADR): Developing technology to remove existing, large, uncontrolled objects before they break into more pieces (Kessler Syndrome).

• Lasers in space pushing particles and debris down wards.

Some suggestions to further manage space debris.

1 Using the above methods efficiently regarding altitude.
2 Using the above methods eefficiently regarding size.
3 Discovering which satellites are active.
4 Discovering which are deactivated for de-orbiting.
5 Placing higher deactivated satellites into an lower orbit to nudge debris to towards burn up.

• Placing higher deactivated satellites into an lower orbit to nudge debris to towards burn up.
• Designing satellites to de-orbit as a satellite train, in which they follow each other in an orbit, once at the end of life they all deorbit as one object into the ocean.

So there’s around 12 ways to deal with space junk so far.

And there will be more.

What about getting people to pay ‘up front’ for the clean up?

Like Elon Musk.

He’s pretty hot on the job when it comes to lofting stuff up into orbit.

If he (and others like him) had to pony up a few dozen million, or even a few hundred million, in ‘pre-paid’ clean-up costs, it might slow down the rate at which new items join the mass of things already up there – make them think a bit more about ‘do we really need to do this? Can we combine two or three purposes into one satellite/launch?’.

Tau.Neutrino said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

There’s around 10 ways to get rid of space junk

Active Removal Methods (For Large Debris)

• Robotic Arms/Claws:
  Missions like ClearSpace-1 aim to use a robotic arm to grab defunct satellites, then de-orbit them.

• Nets: DART (RemoveDEBRIS mission) successfully tested a net to capture debris in orbit, slowing it for atmospheric re-entry.

• Harpoons:
  A harpoon can spear debris to attach a tether, pulling it down.

• Magnetic Docking:
  Companies like Astroscale are developing magnetic tugs that attach to satellites (with pre-installed docking plates) to move them.

• Space Tugs:
  A “tug” spacecraft approaches, attaches, and maneuvers the debris into a lower orbit for controlled burn-up.

Passive & Future Methods

• Lasers (Ground-Based):
  Lasers fired from Earth can ablate (vaporize) small parts of debris, creating thrust to nudge them into lower orbits where they burn up.

• ElectroDynamic Tethers (EDTs):
  Long conductive tethers generate forces in Earth’s magnetic field to de-orbit satellites.

• Sponge Foam/Shields:
  Large, thin shields or foam can slow down smaller particles, causing them to re-enter faster.

In-Orbit Servicing:
Refueling, repairing, or de-orbiting satellites using robotic systems, rather than just capturing them.

Mitigation (Preventing New Debris)

Design for Demise: Building satellites to burn up more easily on re-entry.

• Graveyard Orbits: Moving satellites to higher, unused orbits at end-of-life.
  Active Debris Removal (ADR): Developing technology to remove existing, large, uncontrolled objects before they break into more pieces (Kessler Syndrome).

• Lasers in space pushing particles and debris down wards.

Some suggestions to further manage space debris.

1 Using the above methods efficiently regarding altitude.
2 Using the above methods eefficiently regarding size.
3 Discovering which satellites are active.
4 Discovering which are deactivated for de-orbiting.
5 Placing higher deactivated satellites into an lower orbit to nudge debris to towards burn up.

• Placing higher deactivated satellites into an lower orbit to nudge debris to towards burn up.
• Designing satellites to de-orbit as a satellite train, in which they follow each other in an orbit, once at the end of life they all deorbit as one object into the ocean.

So there’s around 12 ways to deal with space junk so far.

And there will be more.

Left out

• Attachable thrusters. These would launched from a mother ship carrying hundreds of thrusters, they are sent to a debris peice then push it towards the atmosphere for burn up.

Tau.Neutrino said:

Left out

• Attachable thrusters. These would launched from a mother ship carrying hundreds of thrusters, they are sent to a debris peice then push it towards the atmosphere for burn up.

Got just the name for that project:

‘Dark Star’.

captain_spalding said:

What about getting people to pay ‘up front’ for the clean up?

Like Elon Musk.

He’s pretty hot on the job when it comes to lofting stuff up into orbit.

If he (and others like him) had to pony up a few dozen million, or even a few hundred million, in ‘pre-paid’ clean-up costs, it might slow down the rate at which new items join the mass of things already up there – make them think a bit more about ‘do we really need to do this? Can we combine two or three purposes into one satellite/launch?’.

Yes lots of thing’s could be achieved with some forward planning.

Selling older satellites onwards to other companies or to the public.

Making satellites easier for future upgrading.

don’t worry she’ll be right the engineers will save us first they’ll find a way to counter drone swarms and protect tanks and ships then they’ll broaden the capability to defending orbital assets as well

don’t worry she’ll be right the engineers will save us first they’ll find a way to counter drone swarms and protect tanks and ships then they’ll broaden the capability to defending orbital assets as well

they’ll even be twice as effective

>>Attachable thrusters. These would launched from a mother ship carrying hundreds of thrusters, they are sent to a debris peice then push it towards the atmosphere for burn up.

Attachable thrusters could be reusable, they send one piece of debris off on its way and then sit and wait for the next piece of debris to come along and do the same thing again.

Attachable thrusters could come in many different sizes as well.

Various space agencies hold databases on space debris.

Artificial intelligence can direct each 12 different method sof de-orbiting debris to the debris location and track it towards burn up.

So that’s combining all those 12 different method’s of de-obiting space debris into one computer that directs all the debris traffic towards burn up.

Then it becomes possible to work out how long it would take to clear the debris field using those 12 methods of clean up. There’s quite a few cubic meters of space.around the planet.

Solar sail with a fishing line & hook.

Cruises past with the hook out, uses the momentum to sling the defunct junk down and the sail up.

Tau.Neutrino said:

There’s quite a few cubic meters of space.around the planet.

Like, there’s at least 3.

Kingy said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

There’s quite a few cubic meters of space.around the planet.

Like, there’s at least 3.

:)

It’s an AI driven automated air/space control traffic system using debris databases, it directs different de-Orbiting systems to drive debris traffic towards the atmosphere for burn up.

Tau.Neutrino said:

It’s an AI driven automated air/space control traffic system using debris databases, it directs different de-Orbiting systems to drive debris traffic towards the atmosphere for burn up.

It will involve AI people, engineering people and traffic system people.

Having a lot of satellites that will burn up in the atmosphere, it would be better for the environment if future satellites were designed with friendly burn up materials.

Which can all apply to rocket casings and fuel.
.

Each de-orbiting system can be scaled up in proportion to the sizes of pieces in the debris field.

With pre-planning, the de-orbital systems could be re-deployed to space mining or other space tasks, once the debris field has been cleared up.

Tau.Neutrino said:

With pre-planning, the de-orbital systems could be re-deployed to space mining or other space tasks, once the debris field has been cleared up.

For example

A spaceship to Mars or a space train coming back from an asteroid belt may for unforeseen reasons break down then it would be good to have some space tugs around for that purpose after space tugs help clean up the debris field around earth.

captain_spalding said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Left out

• Attachable thrusters. These would launched from a mother ship carrying hundreds of thrusters, they are sent to a debris peice then push it towards the atmosphere for burn up.

Got just the name for that project:

‘Dark Star’.

They are so simple yet will be part of the tools needed.

They Attach reorient then detach

Small rockets and ion drives

Small little rockets or ion drives attach to a debris peice direct it towards the atmosphere then detatch after that they are directed towards another debris peice by AI.

What’s needed now is size analysis of the debris field and work out the ratio of deorbital systems needed to the number and sizes of debris peices floating around in the debris field.

Tau.Neutrino said:

captain_spalding said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Left out

• Attachable thrusters. These would launched from a mother ship carrying hundreds of thrusters, they are sent to a debris peice then push it towards the atmosphere for burn up.

Got just the name for that project:

‘Dark Star’.

They are so simple yet will be part of the tools needed.

They Attach reorient then detach

Small rockets and ion drives

Small little rockets or ion drives attach to a debris peice direct it towards the atmosphere then detatch after that they are directed towards another debris peice by AI.

What’s needed now is size analysis of the debris field and work out the ratio of deorbital systems needed to the number and sizes of debris peices floating around in the debris field.

And they reusable.

Most important.

Little cube satellites could use small lasers to push debris peices downwards towards the atmosphere and like the others they stay in the debris field and are directed by AI to another debris peice.

Tau.Neutrino said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

captain_spalding said:

Got just the name for that project:

‘Dark Star’.

They are so simple yet will be part of the tools needed.

They Attach reorient then detach

Small rockets and ion drives

Small little rockets or ion drives attach to a debris peice direct it towards the atmosphere then detatch after that they are directed towards another debris peice by AI.

What’s needed now is size analysis of the debris field and work out the ratio of deorbital systems needed to the number and sizes of debris peices floating around in the debris field.

And they reusable.

Most important.

Little cube satellites could use small lasers to push debris peices downwards towards the atmosphere and like the others they stay in the debris field and are directed by AI to another debris peice.

The death star would speed up clearing the debris field.

LOL

Applying the Principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to Space

By its very nature, spaceflight is very challenging and very wasteful. As Tsiolkovsky’s famous Rocket Equation establishes, propellant accounts for the majority of a rocket’s mass, which is burned off during launch. The process also introduces large amounts of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and black carbon, as well as ozone-depleting chemicals, into the upper atmosphere. On top of that, the disposal process for satellites once they are no longer operational (deorbiting and burning up in the atmosphere) is also wasteful, with no materials retrieved or reused.

More…

How Demcon deflates the space junk problem

Tau.Neutrino said:

How Demcon deflates the space junk problem

Circling Earth is an invisible, rapidly expanding garbage dump. In low-earth orbit (LEO) – between roughly 160 and 2,000 kilometers – millions of pieces are flying around, ranging from paint chips to defunct satellites and discarded rocket stages. And because objects travel at speeds of up to 28,000 kilometers per hour, even the smallest particle can cause significant damage to still-operating space equipment. LEO is, in the words of NASA, an “orbital space junk yard.”

More…
https://bits-chips.com/article/how-demcon-deflates-the-space-junk-problem/

How should we deal with space junk? Space recycling, of course

Sometimes, what goes up doesn’t come back down — instead, it becomes a problem.

Junk is accumulating in space at a fantastic pace, millions of pieces orbit the Earth, from broken satellites to lost screws and tiny hunks of splintered paint. The International Space Station has to dodge it. Sometimes, space junk crashes into other space junk, creating more space junk. And while there have been many proposals for technologies to capture and destroy it, there’s not been a system-level plan for dealing with it in a comprehensive way.

More…

We can use AI to sort out space junk.

1 sorting debris for de-orbiting.
2 sorting debris for recycling.

AI can also sort out which deorbital systems are suited to each piece of debris.
And which recycling systems are suitable for other peices of space debris.

Tau.Neutrino said:

We can use AI to sort out space junk.

1 sorting debris for de-orbiting.
2 sorting debris for recycling.

AI can also sort out which deorbital systems are suited to each piece of debris.
And which recycling systems are suitable for other peices of space debris.

There will be a need for space junk recycling ♻️ stations up in orbit.

A re design of solar panels could see solar panels recycled so they can be scaled up or scaled down in size for other satellites.

Tau.Neutrino said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

We can use AI to sort out space junk.

1 sorting debris for de-orbiting.
2 sorting debris for recycling.

AI can also sort out which deorbital systems are suited to each piece of debris.
And which recycling systems are suitable for other peices of space debris.

There will be a need for space junk recycling ♻️ stations up in orbit.

A re design of solar panels could see solar panels recycled so they can be scaled up or scaled down in size for other satellites.

The international space treaty will need to be updated for cleaning up space debris.

Here’s a rough outline.

Tau.Neutrino said:

Here’s a rough outline.

You’re right onto this, I can see.

Michael V said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Here’s a rough outline.

You’re right onto this, I can see.

Interesting exercise in information collection and ordering it in a logical way and adding some missing gaps towards building a structured system.

Tau.Neutrino said:

Michael V said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Here’s a rough outline.

You’re right onto this, I can see.

Interesting exercise in information collection and ordering it in a logical way and adding some missing gaps towards building a structured system.

It would be great to see university students designing similar systems.

Some really interesting things might pop into existence.

Michael V said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Here’s a rough outline.

You’re right onto this, I can see.

Science asked “what about space junk”.

I was working on a a rough outline for road crews using drones and AI to speed up road side debris
collection.

Tau.Neutrino said:

Michael V said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Here’s a rough outline.

You’re right onto this, I can see.

Science asked “what about space junk”.

I was working on a a rough outline for road crews using drones and AI to speed up road side debris
collection.

I’ve never seen a road crew collecting roadside rubbish.

I wish you could send some of these crews up here.

I saw roadside signs in California “The next five miles are kept clean by XYZ” where XYX was usually a business in the nearby town. I thought this was a great idea. “Free” advertising for cleaning the roadside. Employees would do the job, and also likely educate others not to chuck stuff out of cars.

Tau.Neutrino said:

Michael V said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Here’s a rough outline.

You’re right onto this, I can see.

Science asked “what about space junk”.

I was working on a a rough outline for road crews using drones and AI to speed up road side debris
collection.

I’m not very good with AI space traffic control systems, someone else will have to do that.

:)

Michael V said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Michael V said:

You’re right onto this, I can see.

Science asked “what about space junk”.

I was working on a a rough outline for road crews using drones and AI to speed up road side debris
collection.

I’ve never seen a road crew collecting roadside rubbish.

I wish you could send some of these crews up here.

I saw roadside signs in California “The next five miles are kept clean by XYZ” where XYX was usually a business in the nearby town. I thought this was a great idea. “Free” advertising for cleaning the roadside. Employees would do the job, and also likely educate others not to chuck stuff out of cars.

We could use some state road fee money towards cleaning up.

River ways and creeks could be another source for cleaning up debris.

Tau.Neutrino said:

Michael V said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Science asked “what about space junk”.

I was working on a a rough outline for road crews using drones and AI to speed up road side debris
collection.

I’ve never seen a road crew collecting roadside rubbish.

I wish you could send some of these crews up here.

I saw roadside signs in California “The next five miles are kept clean by XYZ” where XYX was usually a business in the nearby town. I thought this was a great idea. “Free” advertising for cleaning the roadside. Employees would do the job, and also likely educate others not to chuck stuff out of cars.

We could use some state road fee money towards cleaning up.

River ways and creeks could be another source for cleaning up debris.

Alternatively, we might be able to educate people not to be such bloody tossers.

Tau.Neutrino said:

Michael V said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

Science asked “what about space junk”.

I was working on a a rough outline for road crews using drones and AI to speed up road side debris
collection.

I’ve never seen a road crew collecting roadside rubbish.

I wish you could send some of these crews up here.

I saw roadside signs in California “The next five miles are kept clean by XYZ” where XYX was usually a business in the nearby town. I thought this was a great idea. “Free” advertising for cleaning the roadside. Employees would do the job, and also likely educate others not to chuck stuff out of cars.

We could use some state road fee money towards cleaning up.

River ways and creeks could be another source for cleaning up debris.

We have road side crews picking up road side rubbish, they wear high visibility vests and have long spears for picking up rubbish and a ute with an orange light and a sign .